Professionals

Carl E. Forsberg

Shareholder

Carl’s busy litigation practice emphasizes insurance defense, first and third-party coverage opinions/litigation, extra contractual matters, the defense of alleged bad faith claims and general as well as environmental defense claims. He is licensed to practice law in Washington, Alaska and Oregon and has represented clients throughout the United States, with particular emphasis in the Western states.

Carl has extensive trial experience, initially as an Assistant District Attorney in Anchorage, Alaska, and he continues with an active trial practice now. He is frequently asked to serve as a King County Superior Court Arbitrator and is an instructor for the National Institute of Trial Advocacy’s trial and deposition skills programs, as well as an Adjunct Professor, Trial Advocacy, at the University of Washington School of Law. He is a frequent author and lecturer on topics related to his primary practice areas as well as pre-trial and trial-related issues.

Recognized as one of the “Top 100 Lawyers in Washington,” 2013, 2014 and 2016 in Seattle Metmagazine.

Recognized as one of "Washington's Top Lawyers," July 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 as selected by peers, in Seattle Met magazine.

Received the "2013 Outstanding Lawyer of the Year" award from the King County Bar Association.

Named "Defense Trial Lawyer of the Year" in 2010 by Washington Defense Trial Lawyers.

"AV Preeminent" rated by Martindale-Hubbell, the highest rating obtainable by members of the legal community; and in 2014 received the distinguished "20 years recognition" at this level.

Representative Cases

Represented insurers who issued policies with combined liability limits in excess of $50 million in multiparty contribution lawsuit regarding potential coverage for over 1,000 toxic tort claims and environmental claims arising out of polluted sites across the country. A seven-week jury trial resulted in a partial defense verdict, with the jury concluding that the pollution exclusions in various policies precluded coverage for the environmental claims.

Represented and successfully settled insurers who issued policies with combined liability limits in excess of $100 million in a lawsuit regarding a nine-figure pollution liability in the Portland Harbor Superfund Site and several other environmental sites.

Obtained a partial defense verdict in a bench trial regarding the existence and terms of dozens of policies allegedly issued by their clients beginning in the 1940s.

Represented an insurer in coverage litigation in United States District Court (D. Oregon) against an aircraft parts manufacturer’s claim for indemnity coverage, received summary judgment that their pretreatment system was an ordinary cost of doing business in compliance with regulatory licensing requirements and therefore not a covered indemnity cost under their liability policies.

Representation of several insurance carriers in multi-state / multi-party coverage litigation concerning numerous contaminated sites, received several summary judgment victories which led to successful settlement of all known / unknown policies.

Co-author: Chapter of the LexisNexis Practice Guide: Washington Insurance Litigation regarding the rescission of insurance policies based on misrepresentations made by the policyholder in obtaining a policy; “The Insurance Application and the Insurer’s Remedies for Misrepresentation,” November 2014